Rahan. Episode 157. By Roger Lecureux. The Sacred Conch. A Puke(TM) Comic.

Translated by the Son of the Puke Ages.
Index:
https://rumble.com/v3486cm-rahan-index-of-episodes-by-roger-lecureux..html

Source of Rahan Comics:
Philippe Ropers.
https://vk.com/topic-203785966_47424128

Rahan.

Episode One Hundred and Fifty Seven.

By Roger Lecureux, drawn by Romero.

The Sacred Conch.

The skiff crashed against the reef and the son of Crao felt himself being sucked up into the sky, along with the bamboo to which he had thought it prudent to attach himself.
This time Rahan will die! The "Treeless Land" will devour him!

Oh!
Since dawn he had been fighting this storm in a fog so thick that he could no longer see anything within half a stone's throw.

He rolled for a moment on the foaming crest of the wave that was carrying him toward an islet.
That he had not even glimpsed.

He was suddenly thrown onto a beach, along with some fish.
Rahan was luckier than you!
But in which territory did he fail?

Page Two.

The storm was about to cease, almost as suddenly as it had broken.
Ha-ha-ha! You are fast, "Crack"!
The little crab escaped and rushed into an empty conch.

You are clinging to the bottom of the shell, huh!
But Rahan will know how to dislodge you from there!
Amused, Rahan shook the shell vigorously.

Rahan will not let himself be taunted by a little "Croak"!
With a sharp blow of his knife, he broke the tip of the conch.

He blew hard into the shell and.
Beu-hah!

Through the re-emerged silence tore a long bellow.
Rahan has never heard such a sound!
We must hear each other ten arrow ranges away!
Too intrigued by his discovery, the son of Crao did not hear the sand crunching.

Page Three.

You have broken the sacred conch! You will pay with your life for this sacrilege!
Emerging from the fog like a specter, the man rushed towards Rahan.

He did not suspect that this one was capable of violent actions.
Oh!
The fishermen are not very welcoming on this island!

Rahan regrets! But he is obliged to defend his life!
Argh!

Who is he? Why is he alone on this lost island!?
The son of Crao did not have time to ask himself any further questions.

Friends or enemies?

A flotilla of strangely shaped skiffs was emerging slowly from the fog.
Silent and unreal, this flotilla seemed to want to surround the islet!

Page Four.

Hail, unknown brother! The fishermen of the "Territory of the long mist" greet you!
The fishermen were happily waving their harpoons, but suddenly.

This man is not a brother! This desecrator dared to break a sacred conch!
Tagok saw it with his own eyes!

In an instant, everything was turned upside down.
The joyful enthusiasm of the fishermen gave way to hospitality, then to fury.
Breaking a sacred conch! This sacrilege deserves death!
The first harpoons were already flying, which Rahan was able to avoid.

He escaped the second volley by rushing into the fog.
It was so dense that he disappeared from the eyes of the fishermen.

In a few strides he reached the other side of the islet.
Oh! They are everywhere!
Another flotilla could be seen in the mist, Rahan was surrounded on all sides!

Page Five.

Rahan has only one chance to escape them. Sneak under their barrage!
He dove so well that no noise betrayed him!

The boats were silhouetted against the pale light of the surface.
Rahan can get through their barrier. but then? How will he escape?

Rahan knows what he has to do!
The idea was bold. But the son of Crao knew how to take risks.

Oh! We. We are capsizing! The spirits are punishing us for letting the conch break!
The chief fisherman and two of his followers did not have time to realize.

Thrown into the water, the three men saw their skiff move away, alone, and disappear into the fog!
The spirits! The spirits take revenge!

Page Six.

As soon as he was out of sight, the son of Crao climbed into the boat.
Rahan's ruse has succeeded! He will be able to escape the "Territory of the long mist"!

Hum. Maybe not yet! What are they doing with Garaok?
Argh!

By letting "Fire-Hair" break a sacred conch, you have brought the wrath of the spirits upon us!
You must die, Garoak!

Rahan, who had approached the islet, caught a glimpse of the group of fishermen who were throwing Garaok into the water.
They sacrifice Garoak to their stupid belief!

Rahan never abandoned a man to the "Shadows", even if he was his enemy!
At that moment, Crao's son could have walked away from the island, disappeared into the fog.
The idea never even crossed his mind.

Page Seven.

Rahan let himself sink without a noise.
Over there, his hands tied, Garaok was dragged by a heavy stone.

The "Blue Skins" will soon show themselves!

He was cutting the fisherman's bonds when, indeed, a large, solitary shark emerged from the darkness.

The confrontation was extraordinarily brief!
In a moment the "Blue-skins" will be in a band!
It is time for Rahan to rejoin Garaok!

Fearing the appearance of other sharks, Rahan quickly returned to the surface and.

Garaok! What? What?
Garoak brandished the harpoon he had found, in the skiff!
Was he going to alert his people!?
Was he going to kill Rahan to redeem himself in their eyes!?

Page Eight.

Grab this Harpoon! And come on brother!
Rahan blamed himself for doubting Garaok's recognition.

A little later.
But why are these shells sacred to your clan, Garaok?
One day, a long time ago, our leader did just like you, Rahan.

He blew a conch shell, which caused a horrible monster to rise from the waters.
A monster we had never seen!
Many of our people were devoured, others drowned.

Since that day we have never blown a conch again!
We fear the wrath of evil spirits!
Stupid fear, Garaok, evil spirits do not exist!

If a monster appeared just as your leader was blowing a conch shell, It can only be a coincidence, a simple coincidence!
I wish I could believe you, brother!

Page Nine.

The fishing fleet had disappeared into the mist and was heading straight for the islet.
What are you doing!?
Have confidence in Rahan!

A moment later, he came ashore on the shore, where he had discovered the shell.
It was placed on a pyramid of stones, like an altar.

Bleugh!
No! No! Do not do that!
Ignoring Garaok's cries, the son of Croa blew his lungs into the sacred conch!

The spirits do not find it enough that we sacrificed Garaok to them!
Their anger will decimate us!
Barely muffled by the mist, the long bellows reached the fishermen.

On the skiff that emerged from the fog, the fishermen, stunned, recognized Rahan and Garaok!
The spirits will not decimate anyone!
Oh!

Page Ten.

Rahan has challenged the spirits twice!
If they do not show themselves, they are cowards.
Or rather, they do not exist!

Garaok narrated how Rahan saved him, how he faced the "Blue Skin."
Rahan proved to us that we were attributing to spirits what was only chance!

Rahan has opened our eyes! I ask you all to consider him as a brother from now on!
Thank you Garaok!

Rahan stayed among these fishermen for some time, but one morning.
The time has come for Rahan to do like these birds!

His destiny called him towards new horizons as he saluted one last time "The clan of the long mist", a long moo answered his greeting.
The son of Crao was happy.
The conches would no longer be the object of a stupid belief.
They would now allow fishermen to greet each other, to alert each other, to gather!
All things that were very much needed, in these fierce times, for "Those-who-walk-upright"!